The Song Fight Bulletin Board

Well, why not clarify here and make it official...

Oh, there's no art yet. When is this fight going up? I'll throw something together.

I just gave all the songs the once over and damn, they're pretty good.

FYI: Christopher Short = MENBAH! I forgot to change that. My bad.

1) Tons of great stuff this fight!

2) For the sake of those who review with only the Mp3 files as a reference, please edit your Id3 tags appropriately : http://www.id3.org/Introduction

Reviews in random order.

Christopher Cogott - vote for overal excellence
+++ toe-tapping opening riff and chorus +++
/// why are the drums panned so far left? ///
+++ great overall tune well recorded +++

LML ?
/// guit seems a little muddy; not helped by cheap-sounding fake drums ///
+++ sounds like the other girl from a Hell Yeahs! song +++
--- lacks dynamics: each verse sounds the same ---

noah mclaughlin - vote for ego
/// secret prize for anyone who can guess who I ripped off the guitar riff from ///
+++ hooray for ancient Greek mythology!+++
--- needs a break: solo, bridge, something ---
--- the chorus needs to be faster, catchier, maybe switch to 4/4 time to truly rock out? ---
/// I think I've finally learned how to sing (in my own way) ///

Billy's Little Trip
+++ bass groove (tone / riff sounds familiar... can't place it...) +++
/// this would probably rock out live, but the recording seems to sap the vigor out it //

efemjay
/// genre bias: not generally being a fan of rap, you have to do something exceptional to grab me ///
+++ props for the social justice topic +++
--- sonically repetitive: move that outro break down up and develop it more ---

Don't Tell Betsy
--- needs a better hook ---
+++ well recorded and mixed +++
/// this takes the middle road between head-lolling groovy and toe-tapping danceable: pick one and go for it ///

MENBAH! - vote for composition
/// quiet mix ///
+++ mix of tones and textures +++
+++ dynamics +++

Walt Cronin
--- out of tune guitar ---
/// is this a mono file? everything's coming out the left speaker ///
--- the seed of a neat song, but recorded GnG style without further development ---

Gooey Caramel Centaur - near vote: cool song but a so-so vocal performance
/// vox are hot in the mix ///
+++ good dynamics +++
/// the lead vox are very tentative. while it may be thematically appropriate, a more assured performance might make for more enjoyable listening ///

Wages
--- awkward prosody ---
--- lead guitar works against the vocal melody; it's not counterpoint, it's just distracting ---

Signboy feat. Realist - near a vote: see Gooey Caramel Centaur above
+++ groove +++
/// bring those vox up! ///
--- the chorus vox seem slightly out of time with the steady groove of the band; the 3rd verse vox are also unsteady ---
+++ saxophone! +++

The Weakest Suit - near vote: know when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em
+++ chorus! +++
+++ dynamics +++
/// dammit, I'm going to be singing this to myself for a week...///
--- this should stop at about 2:40, maybe earlier ---

Paco del Stinko - vote for overall excellence
+++ awesome lyrics +++
+++ noise solo +++
+++ dynamics +++

Barely Adequate - vote for originality
+++ kudos for unconventional instrumentation +++
/// the whispered chanting in the background distracts rather than adds to the texture ///

Thornberry
+++ trippy change of pace for the second part of the chorus +++
/// as cool as the dynamics of this piece are, I lost interest about halfway through... It's not you, it's me. ///
/// I promise to listen again ///

Panna Cotta Army - vote for overall excellence
+++ drums +++
+++ great, punchy, concise tune +++

Kasper
+++ amidst all the up-beat stuff, this is a nice change of pace +++
/// still, it feels like one of those numbers you put on an album to round it out/help the flow rather than as a front runner ///

Flvxxvm Florvm
+++ despite the slightly annoying tinny guit in there, great mix of tones +++
--- some timing issues in the performance ---
+++ lyrics +++
/// I really like your almost one-off / off-beat stuff; keep it up! ///

Josho
--- nasal out of time vox ---
--- bad synth that does nothing but follow the melody ---

DuToVa
+++ spacey tone +++
--- repetitive: this would be a much better song at 2/3 to 1/2 of its current running time ---

deetak
+++ beautiful melody with a complicated, almost tortuous development +++
--- the rest doesn't live up to this richness ---

Johnny Cashpoint
+++ lyrics +++
--- the pre-chorus should hit harder, more solidly ---
/// I'm going to cover this one day, but you're still doing the vocals ///

nyjm wrote: Billy's Little Trip
+++ bass groove (tone / riff sounds familiar... can't place it...) +++
/// this would probably rock out live, but the recording seems to sap the vigor out it //

Interesting that you say that. Because while I was putting it together, I felt I was going for it pretty hard and the same with the vocals. But after it was all mixed down and I did my final volume maximizing, etc, it seemed almost a bit squished. Like maybe I over compressed or something, not sure. I even went back and listened to the individual tracks and they seem full of life. So if you and I are talking about the same thing, it might be that I messed it up on the final production part. Thanks for the review. It definitely makes me want to work on that in the future.

ps, I thought it kind of seemed reminiscent of the song I did with fluffy last year, "for you".

FWIW, from the perspective of someone who listens to 90%+ 1990's hip hop, 9% old soul and jazz, and 1% rock.

Josho
I get some unpleasant distortion in my left speaker every fourth bar or so. This was definitely weird, but I'm sure that's what you were going for. I know a lot of people won't like this, but for what you were clearly trying to do, I think you did a good job.

Flvxxvm Florvm
I like this one, too! I could see this one playing in a Tarrantino reimagining of a Spaghetti Western. The production is sparse, but clearly you were going for that. I don't know what else to say, other than I liked it.

LML
I love this. I've been lurking and listening for the past two fights, and I liked your previous songs okay, but this one is awesome. I love the whole vibe. You have a very wholesome-type singing voice that reminds me of something from the 50s or even earlier, which makes for an interesting pairing with your typical subject matter/production. I liked your guitar playing here, and the drum programming, though I think the drums could have switched up a bit more. In general, the song could have had more change-ups and variances. I'd like to hear you re-do this for a more polished final effort, but it is still my favorite of the bunch.

Weakest Suit
Everything I'm always reading says you shouldn't pan your instruments the way you (and others here) are doing here, but I think it sounds good and really interesting. Not only the guitar dueling with the bass, but the two different singing styles in each speaker.. What I don't like is the sound of the vocals on the hook, where it's just one voice. I thought the guitar and the bass were really well played and sounded great.

Gooey Caramel Centaur
Either the vocals are too loud or everything else is too quiet. On the plus side, this made the lyrics easy to hear and understand, which was a plus. It's a good song, but the strange mixing make it difficult to get into.

Paco Del Stinko
My wife will definitely vote for you instead of me. We've been lurking for two weeks and she's loved both of your songs. They're not really my style, but your band's talent cannot be denied. You sort of remind me of Nerfherder. Obviously, you know your musicianship is top-notch, and I have no critique of value to give you on that front. But I really found it difficult to make out your lyrics, due mostly to them sitting too quietly in the mix (for my ears at least). I love all the break-downs, build-ups, and change-ups. I'm amazed that you can throw something so diverse together so quickly.

DuToVa
I liked the melody and the interaction of the organ (or Fender Rhodes) with guitar and bass... I know this is supposed to be a song-writing competition, not a production competition, but I did not care for the effects on the vocals, especially on the chorus and pre-chorus. Maybe it's just because my ears are tuned to rap and old-school soul, but I'm having a hard time understanding the lyrics of many of these songs (not just yours) and what you're trying to say.

MENBAH
The piano-driven melody was a welcome respite from all the strong guitar-driven tracks. I like the lead singer's voice, but it's a bit shaky during the "regular" parts of the song.. And then when he really blows, he sounds great. I like how the guitar comes in, lyrically, after the first verse, rather than blasting all throughout the song. Sounds like you kinda missed the note after the "fat lady singing" or maybe that's what you were going for. I like the back-up harmonies, too. Really nice. This is my second favorite next to LML.

Johnny Cashpoint
I found the opening guitar loop (I know you're playing it live, but it is the same over and over again and I don't know the right word for it) a little grating at first, but I love the way you use it to build to the point that the drums kick in. From then on, I was definitely nodding my head. I love the change-up; that' even more headnod-worthy. But again, I had a hard time making out the lyrics.. Not sure if this is my fault or yours, but it is a common problem I'm having with these songs. I like near the end of the song when you have the back-up vocals added in.

Billy's Little Trip
Ooh, I like this. I like the build-up, from the weak-sounding flangey drums, panned left; joined first by the bassline on the right, then some more drums and the spooky chorus vocals; and finally, wam, the guitar and full-fledged drums.. At this point it sounded like Rage Against the Machine, but your vocal style sounds somewhat like Ozzie Ozborne to me. The crashes seem a little loud, and your vocals (again!) are hard to make out... But like I've said before, this may be my fault. Great instrumentation and this rocks really hard while maintaining a good sense of rhythm. Ahh, the drums remind me of the drums on When the Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin (which I know because they have been sampled in hip-hop a whole bunch).

Christopher Cogott
The opening reminded me of B-52's. Actually, the whole thing's somewhat reminiscent. Great instrumentation; I like the claps on the chorus. Lots of dynamic variance. Great guitar solo on the bridge. Overall, very well done.

Thornberry
I really liked this up until the post-chorus (?), where it gets a little too trippy for me. The rest of the song is really good, with a catchy guitar and lyrics/vocals that are well-mixed and intelligible. I think what you've done after each chorus is an attempt to stand out, and admirable, but I don't find it enjoyable to listen to, personally. That said, the rest of your song is very enjoyable.

Signboy
Vocalist reminds me a bit of Sade. The choruses have a bit of Bob James vibe to them. I liked the limited use of saxophone. As far as song-writing, I think this is very catchy and good. I think the mixing could be better to really bring out the best in the song. I think the tempo could even be slowed down a bit, and overall things could be made a little more sparse. I'm not trying to be critical here, just offering some ideas on how you could take this in a different direction. The bass reminds me of "Tappan Zee" by Bob James (which I noticed after the chrous elements reminded me of Bob James). I think this could sound better with lighter drums, especially, given the singer's vocal style.

deetak
I could really feel your emotion in the lyrics, and I liked that. But other than that, it was a little repetitive, and there was also some weird rumbling every fourth bar or so early on (not a defect, I don't think, but something you were trying to do?). I like your singing voice, your lyrics were clearly audible, but once again, I just don't really "get" them. Probably my issue.

Wages
I like the sound of the guitar. My favorite part of the song is at the end, the "outro chorus" of sorts. At times, the guitar reminds me "El Verano" by Bob James (for yet another Bob James reference). My main problem with the song is that the guitar playing seems to be a little out-of-time at points.. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd like to hear this with some drums thrown in to be sure.

efemjay
I entered this contest not to win, but to get feedback from people that would push me to make my music more "musical." That said, here's some reverse genre bias for you all: I'm not sure what the "point" (lyrically) of most of your songs are -- WHAT does she already know?! I don't know... Take that!!!

Don't Tell Betsy
What I really like about this one is that a) I can hear and understand the lyrics, b) I "get" and understand the point of them. This song is very well done, and I have no worthwhile critique. I rate it third, just barely behind LML and MENBAH.. I like the lead singer's voice, the use of the stereo field, the variance in dynamics, etc. It is very well done; more professional than the two songs I liked better, just not as catchy to my own ears. My only criticism is that it might run a bit long, though that could be due to listening fatigue brought on from all the songs I've listened to before this.

Walt Cronin
I like it lyrically because (for the second time in a row), I know what she already knows.. And this is a different take from most of the songs. Due to the sparseness of the arrangement, there's not a lot to talk about, but for what this song is, I like it.

Panna Cotta Army
Probably the most professional sounding song (along with Paco). Excellent mixing and production. Vocals are clear and audible, and the harmonica is a unique sound among the rest of the songs. Oh, and I like this breakdown where the synth comes in to join the drums. Excellent arrangement. I feel dumb offering "critique" of band of this caliber.

Barely Adequate
I didn't like this one at first, but it quickly grew on me. I like the lyrics and the way the title was used. I also like the variance of instrumentation; it gives the song a very exotic feeling. From a song-writing perspective, this goes in my top 6 or so. Obviously, the mixing could be a lot better, but that's not as important. "I'd eat a bag of rats for her!"

Noah McLaughlin
I like your use of the stereo field here. I normally wouldn't think vocals panned anything but center would sound good, but having the vocals left and guitar right give them both plenty of room, and once the bass and drums kick in, it is no longer "noticeable" unless you're really paying attention. I like the build ups and break downs. Your voice sounds like Eddie Veddar's on the choruses. But my main problem here is that I had a hard time making out most of your lyrics. This is probably as much (or more) my fault as (than) yours.

Kasper
A second piano-driven tune, this one is no less welcome for its variance from the guitar-driven norm. Will you hate me if I say this reminds me of Coldplay? I like the slow build; you're in no rush to slam the listener with 100 instruments at once. This is a more thoughtful song than most, and one of my favorites.

In summation, the seven real standouts, in no order: LML, Paco del Stinko, MENBAH, Don't Tell Betsy, Pana Cotta Army, Barely Adequate, and Kasper... I only want to vote for five, and I have to vote for my own (to potentially save myself from zero votes), so I'm going to drop Paco, Don't Tell Betsy, and Panna Cotta on the grounds that their production is "too good" and they're likely to get plenty of votes anyway. It was hard to get down to even seven, and there were many others that I thought could have been real contenders either of the two previous fights I've listened to. I look forward to more feedback on my song, and I want to thank Noah McLaughlin for his well-considered criticism of my version of "SAK."

nyjm wrote:Johnny Cashpoint--- the pre-chorus should hit harder, more solidly ---/// I'm going to cover this one day, but you're still doing the vocals ///

Perhaps unsurprisingly, I completely disagree with you on the pre-chorus. This isn't a punk song it's just a pop song masquerading as one. But feel free to cover it and prove me wrong! I need to re-record it anyway, due to a glaring lyrical mistake I made during performing it and am waiting to see if anyone else notices.

j$

Just a small switcheroo:

j$ wrote:She’s man trapped in a girl’s body - No more Heather, call him Trevor

j$ sang:
"She's a girl trapped in a man's body"

Would that be a Freudian slip there?

And yeah, with the distorted guitars, I was definitely hearing this in the punk-song vein. It would be very interesting to give this a double treatment: one Ford's Theater Disaster take and one XTRG.

efemjay wrote: Flvxxvm Florvm
I like this one, too! I could see this one playing in a Tarrantino reimagining of a Spaghetti Western. The production is sparse, but clearly you were going for that. I don't know what else to say, other than I liked it.

The main reason for the all-acoustic (well except for the one-note keyboard drone) arrangement is this is the first entry I've done since replacing the SM57 I used to do everything with with a condenser mic, so I wanted to get as much use out of it as possible. I'm going to admit I was always one of those people that didn't understand why everybody kept telling me not to use dynamic mics for anything other than micing amps and live performances, but now that I've actually tried it I like the sound from even $70 mic like I'm using. Although now the problem is you can finally hear the room enough that I need to worry about soundproofing and echo-proofing and other shit that I never thought about before.

efemjay wrote: Weakest Suit
Everything I'm always reading says you shouldn't pan your instruments the way you (and others here) are doing here, but I think it sounds good and really interesting. Not only the guitar dueling with the bass, but the two different singing styles in each speaker.. What I don't like is the sound of the vocals on the hook, where it's just one voice. I thought the guitar and the bass
were really well played and sounded great.

There's a lot of conventional wisdom about panning like "always put bass guitar, kick drum, and lead-anything dead center". If you listen to stereo mixes from the 60s you'll hear stuff like lead vocals in one side and background vocals in the other, bass and guitar panned wide apart from each, and entire drum kits panned to one side or other. And it doesn't sound "bad", at least not to me. That was before the rules were written.

EDIT: inb4 someone ways that you need to learn the rules before you break them. Probably true but beside the point I'm making.

efemjay wrote: Paco Del Stinko
your band's talent cannot be denied

You know he's just one guy, right?

efemjay wrote: Billy's Little Trip
Ooh, I like this. I like the build-up, from the weak-sounding flangey drums, panned left; joined first by the bassline on the right, then some more drums and the spooky chorus vocals; and finally, wam, the guitar and full-fledged drums.. At this point it sounded like Rage Against the Machine, but your vocal style sounds somewhat like Ozzie Ozborne to me. The crashes seem a little loud, and your vocals (again!) are hard to make out... But like I've said before, this may be my fault. Great instrumentation and this rocks really hard while maintaining a good sense of rhythm. Ahh, the drums remind me of the drums on When the Levee Breaks by Led Zeppelin (which I know because they have been sampled in hip-hop a whole bunch).

Wow, those are some fun comparisons there. And yes, I hear the Levee Breaks drum sound now that you mention it. It's the fat wet fx on the drums (no pun intended). I do tend to mix old school rock sounds with newer elements quite often. Thanks for the kind review.

I must be incredibly frustrating to listen to if you play drums or enjoy live drumming. Face it people. I'm not a drummer, I will never be a drummer, and your reviews are getting increasingly repetitive. Hope it doesn't cause you to harm yourself, seeing as I have no way to adhere to that advice. That is unless there's a drummer out there who'd like to enter with me under the LML name. Get used to it people! Crappy drums are here to stay!

LML wrote: Get used to it people! Crappy drums are here to stay!

As another non-drummer I find people hate my fake drums less if they're not just fake sounding, but ridiculously fake sounding.

Anything that sounds like the drum sounds in a cheap keyboard from the 90's or 2000's will get booed.

Anything that sounds like the drum sounds in a cheap keyboard from the early 80's or before, people seem to like BECAUSE it sounds so cheesy. (EDIT: hell, I like it for that reason too!)

LML wrote:I must be incredibly frustrating to listen to if you play drums or enjoy live drumming. Face it people. I'm not a drummer, I will never be a drummer, and your reviews are getting increasingly repetitive. Hope it doesn't cause you to harm yourself, seeing as I have no way to adhere to that advice. That is unless there's a drummer out there who'd like to enter with me under the LML name. Get used to it people! Crappy drums are here to stay!

You're songs always draw me in, so there's some hook to the way you deliver the goods. But when you play your drums in your songs, you should do it more betterer. Maybe you just need new drum sticks.

Drum discussion this way.

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Barely Adequate -vote
I really dig almost everything about this. It reminds of the days when Teplin used to submit. The only thing that sticks out is the solo synth/autofilter thing. Other than that, your performance is great, as is the mixing and writing.

BLT
Basement sounding drums, almost-in-tune vocals, This is a prime BLT track. Sounds like something I'd like to see at the bar.

Christopher Cogott
You, sir, have a great pop sensibility. I don't have much else to say, but in this case, that's a good thing.

Deetak
As with a lot of g&g tracks, this really shines in the sameyness department. Without some extra instrumentation, you're really going to have to tweak the guitar rhythm and vocal melody to keep the whole thing from sounding like one long flow of verse. In fact, I can't wait until you get the means to do some pro-sounding orchestration, as you have a nice voice that (imho) just hasn't been used in the right context very often.

Don't Tell Betsy
Your vocal melodies are what really makes this song. With just some backing harmonies and a 60's diner to play it in, this would be catchy as hell.

DuToVa
The vocal effects are a bit much for how well you sang it. It just takes away from the whole. I really like the overall sound, and use of synths. I think you should have switched the drums up a bit here and there, to separate the parts a bit.

Efemjay
the beatz need to be lower, and a touch lowpass filtered. They get in the way of the vocals. I'm not really a fan of the old-school rhyme scheme, but you pull it off well.

Flvxxvm Florvm
I like the sound you're going for, but the vocal pitchyness is distracting. Writing wise, it needs some more hook to be memorable.

Gooey Caramel Centaur
Great job on recording the vocals. They sound really "present". Unfortunately, nothing else does.

Johnny Cashpoint
Did you string a cat?

Josho
Did you string your nose?

Kasper
You are so sensitive! If you weren't married, I bet you'd get laid all the time. But seriously, this is really nice. With a touch of autotune, it'd be exceptionally pretty.

Lynette Lewis
man those drums suck. Great vocal delivery. It feels like it needs for the guitar tone to put out more.

Christopher Short
I can't put my finger on what this needs. Maybe I'm just the wrong person. Susan Sarandon would love it.

Noah McLaughlin
I'm not a fan of the "mouth fulla marbles" style. Other than that, it's not bad. Eddie Vedder would love it.

Paco!
For a second, I thought you might actually be a badass mexican. That changeup is weird, but the overall is pretty good. If BLT and Cheech had a baby, it would love this.

Panna Cotta Army
Catchy as hell. If Tom Petty and the Northern Pikes had an orgy, their wet spot would sound like this, and I would love that.

[Signboy feat. Realist[/b]
The inventors of Adult Contemporary would love this.

Thornberry-vote
Cool. The only thing I don't like about this is the clean electric strumming, but that's just stylistic preference. The synth gets a bit loud in places but overall it's great.

Wages
I can't wait till you fill out the rest of your band.

Walt Cronin
2 words: too, nurr.

Weakest Suit
uh oh! uh o-oh! This is some of the best I've heard from you. Awesome.

signboy wrote: BLT
Basement sounding drums, almost-in-tune vocals, This is a prime BLT track. Sounds like something I'd like to see at the bar.

Yeah, thanks? The almost-in-tune vocals is kinda muh thang.

...and I would like to hear this in a bar too. ....by some other band.

By the way, I was going for basementy fx. I picture this story taking place in a basement. The crazy chick has her ex tied to a chair in the basement going all kinds of crazy on him. That's also why I have the water dripping in the beginning.

Hope I haven't missed anyone

Barely Adequate - 70s disco bass done with a tuba? A fun eclectic bag of sounds and styles with some colourful lyrics chucked in as well. It's like a showcase of skills or sampler. Its different, although take off the exotic facade and I'm not sure the song underneath stands up to a huge amount of scrutiny but it's an excellent listen regardless.

LML - I'm split kind of 50/50 with this (or maybe 60/40). There's a fair bit I like - chord progression, the vocal delivery and timbre, the slightly slap-back guitar - but there's also stuff I'm not that keen on. Such as - the drums (lack of variation/sound), the guitar performance is a bit slack here and there. Oh and the 3 second silence at the start. You expect me to sit around waiting for you to start?

efemjay - I'm strangely attracted to the weird organ which gives this track it's character. Otherwise I find there's not too much that takes this out of the generic/run of the mill. But it's tight and well put together and the rhymes are fun - Orientation/Laurie&Jason is my particular favourite.

The Weakest Suit - Simple but effective - good guitar sound and driving bass (Pixie-esqe). The octave doubled vocals work pretty well. Loses it's way briefly around 2.00 like it's trying to go somewhere else but then has a change on mind and goes back on course. Bordering on repetitive but manages to keep my attention to the end.

Noah Mclaughlin - Can't get the hang of this. The guitar leads you up one rhythmic path then the bass (too deep and loud) and the drums kick off down a different one. I'm not sure which one I should be following. The vocals are good, although lacking some low end - has the subby bass sucked it all up? There's a decent Ikea flat-pack song here but not sure it's been assembled correctly.

Paco del Stinko - This has got a decent new wave vibe although its veering towards cult rock opera territory in places. Lots of energy and vital fluids. Excellent production - I like all the different guitar parts and tones.

Flvxxvm Florvm - Tempo seems to meander a tad too much and the sub sub bass drum (which you feel more than you can hear) highlights this. For such a simple two chord drone-like song you really need to nail your timing.

Bilys Little Trip - Intro sounded interesting but it quickley got too metal and shouty for my taste but it's is all put together very proficiently. Bass hasn't got quite enough bass in it for my ears but as I'm pleading genre-ignorance perhaps I better keep my mouth shut.

Walt Cronin - What have you got against the right channel or has a speaker gone in my phones? Pleasant little ditty, sung okay but doesn't really warm the cockles let alone set my pants on fire.

deetak - Melody and chord progession are great. Love your voice too. Not the most pristine guitar take and the recording is pretty awful quality but no disguising the quality of the song. Lots of charm.

J$ - The bitchy lyrics are the highlight. Like the punk sensibility but the harsh guitars get a tad wearisome. A bit Monochrome Set-ish.

DuToVa - Intro seems a bit too long for this plodding beat. Kind of a early prog vibe with those lovely organ stabs and the lazy vocals are nice. The verses are cool, not crazy about the bridge into the chorus but the chorus itself is pretty good - especially the C to F# change. Overall though, I'm liking this the more I listen. It crawls over me in a smothering sort of way.

Christopher Cogott - Quite a bubblegum pop song which reminds me somewhat of the Monkees (particularly the intro). I don't mind a bit of cheesey pop though. Some excellent harmony vocals and backing ahs. I like all the extra percussion - tambourine, handclaps and cowbell, which could be a bit louder..yes, dare I say it - more cowbell!

Kasper - Whats with the big sigh at the beginning? You sound fed up. This is all a bit too obvious and unsurprising. Sounds like it's aspiring to be somewhere between REM and Counting Crows but never really gets up there. The song just loses all momentum half way through instead of building up to some sort of big ending it just slips quietly away unnoticed.

MENBAH! - Caps and exclamation mark? How loud can you get? I'm getting an Elton John type feeling about this..oooer. Not the tightest production but I like the song. The melody is catchy and the build up into the chorus is very good. Your voice cracks here and there but generally the vocal is all present and correct. Gratuitous guitar solo of the week.

Don't Tell Betsy - There's a fresh and raw feel about the playing and production that I like a lot. Reminds me of one or two 80s new wave songs although probably a bit more poppy. Not digging the mid 8 quite as much as the verses and chorus but still a catchy number.

Gooey Caramel Centaur - The song is not really grabbing me. The mix is all a bit off for my taste, nothing quite seems to fit together - vocals are too prominent and up close, drums have too much of that crappy thin bedroom ambience. There's something tentative about the performances that comes across, but a better production/mix would probably go a long way towards helping this. On the plus side , I love your band name.

Josho - Are you hoping that singing with your fingers up your nose is going to replace Extreme-Autotune as the "latest vocal fad"? In the race for maximum irritation factor, the vocals only just beat the cymbals sound. Jim Carrey would probably find this hilarious.

Signboy feat, Realist - This just kind of washes over me. There doesn't seem to any outstanding element that grabs my attention. The vocal melody is very unremarkable, a bit whiney even - it also sometimes seems to clash with the chords or is it just out of tune? There's some awkward changes going into and out of the sax parts which clash somewhat.

Wages - Not mad about the guitar sound - like one of those acoustic simulators for electrics, and do you really need that nasty phaser on it too? Timing needs to be tighter. Sounds like your going for a sort of Nirvana unplugged thing (including Cobain vocal inflections) with this, but the lack of other instrumentation (bass/drums/etc) doesn't really help, as I don't think the song really works with such a simple backing

Thornberry - Kind of divided over this. Not mad about the chord sequence /melody of the verses, it's like I've heard this several times before. After this though things get much more interesting with the bridge+chorus. It gets a bit muddy/overlayered around 2.25 when the dryish rhythm guitar is competing with the deep reverbed stuff. I like the fade out, but the blues harp finale is an afterthought too much.

oddbod wrote:Hope I haven't missed anyone

Me!

Thornberry wrote:

oddbod wrote:Hope I haven't missed anyone

Me!

sorry....now sorted

efemjay wrote: I have to vote for my own

I've wondered what the etiquette here about this is.
I've never voted for myself as I see it as "just not cricket" or "terribly bad form" as Bertie Wooster would put it, but maybe my sense of fair play is stuck in the last century.

oddbod wrote: Bilys Little Trip - Intro sounded interesting but it quickley got too metal and shouty for my taste but it's is all put together very proficiently. Bass hasn't got quite enough bass in it for my ears but as I'm pleading genre-ignorance perhaps I better keep my mouth shut.

No, you're right. The bass is pretty thin. Not that it's fitting to the genre, just that I wanted the notes to be sharper and drive the song and let the kick drum punch it's way through. I'm sure if given the time, I could make the bass drive AND be bassier. Thanks for the review.